4. A diverse community |
|
|
|
|
|
Wellesley College is a place where women from all around the world come to enjoy and participate in a multicultural and diverse community. Diversity at Wellesley comprises many backgrounds and experiences. We believe that women of all talents and experiences add to this community, and that in striving for such a group, we must appreciate diversity of thought, opinion, religious and political beliefs, geography, language, and cultural heritage. Diversity also extends to the classroom. Wellesley's 1000+ course offerings enable students to choose from courses which encompass a broad range of political opinions, religious beliefs, literature genres, philosophies, cultural studies, scientific theories, and languages. Classes and social lives are enriched by the experiences of those who have moved from one international metropolitan area to another as well as by those who have lived in a single small town their whole lives. Students, faculty, and staff at Wellesley College thrive in a community where viewpoints are challenged, people do not all look or dress alike, but still one in which they find that everyone is passionate about learning and becoming friends with those who are different from themselves. According to Diana Chapman Walsh '66, president of Wellesley College, "The kind of inclusive multicultural community I believe we aspire to be is one in which everyone can feel a legitimate sense of ownership and all can be secure in the knowledge that they will be respected for who they are, judged, in Dr. King's unforgettable words, not by the color of their skin or outward appearance but by "the content of their character." All constituencies and subgroups in this community will belong to it, feel welcome here, and share equally this responsibility for ensuring that we are doing our best to produce educational excellence." |
 |
|
| "The
multicultural community at Wellesley is alive, vibrant, and growing.
You can be as involved as you want to be. There are endless opportunities
for student leaders– white, Asian, black, any ethnicity."
Hanna '03 |
|
| "I
realized that coming to a college like Wellesley would stretch me.
Being in a place with so many international and multicultural students
who are interested in the world and yet bring such a range of experiences
with them allows me to grow. And my professors–they have become
my greatest friends, taking interest in me individually and giving
me their trust. I'm always questioning them and arguing with them
over ideas; they inspire me to work hard and to do well."
Anna '05 |
|
 |
|
| "We
take multiculturalism seriously. If one student is feeling excluded
or not valued, it hurts everyone. We feel we must learn from each
other–not just about race, but about each other's backgrounds
and ourselves as well." Sunita '03 |
|
 |
 |
|
Dana '03 thought the course Race, Class, and Gender, taught by Professor Yu Jin Ko (above left) was amazing. Ekaterina '03 (above right) found the diversity in thought and experience to be invaluable in classroom discussions. |
|
| "My
English course Race, Class, and Gender in Literature with Professor
Yu Jin KO was amazing; we read in terms of race, gender, and class,
as opposed to plot. It was wonderful to hear peoples' opinions; it
was a great example of truly benefiting from diversity in an academic
setting and from the intimacy and trust of a small class and a dedicated
professor." Dana '03 |
||
|
"The
diversity of students at Wellesley gives a special sparkle to both
social and academic life. Students are from all over the world.
Some speak five or six languages, and some are direct witnesses
of countries in transition. Their invaluable insights, experiences,
and opinions truly enrich the classroom."
|
||
| "The
multicultural community at Wellesley is alive, vibrant, and growing.
You can be as involved as you want to be. There are endless opportunities
for student leaders— white, Asian, black, any ethnicity." Hanna '03 |
||
 |
 |
|
|
"My favorite pastime is writing poetry. At first I had stage fright at poetry readings, but then my friends came to support me. When I was introduced, they'd keep clapping until I was ready to speak, and then they'd stop. It gave me a minute to get centered. I remember a particular instance when I was to read before hundreds of people who had come for an international student conference. I was so nervous and stopped by a friend on the way to the stage. She looked me in the eye and said, 'Nneoma, take all the time you need; after all, we are here to listen to you.' "The
standing ovation that followed that reading will forever be due
to her. If anything ever becomes of my poetry, it's because the
women at Wellesley–and my family, of course–were so encouraging."
|
||
|
"I
took the course the Qur'an, which gave me broader and deeper understanding
of my faith. It took confidence and open-mindedness for me to open
up this religion and look at it objectively, and it took patience
and courage to hear views so dramatically different from my own.
I really enjoyed it." |
||
 |
|
|
Wellesley students
value the accessibility of their professors and the student/faculty
relationships that develop and sometimes last for decades. Students'
diverse experiences and backgrounds, interests, goals, and areas
of talents and interests enormously enrich both the classroom and
campus life. In
the above photo, students in Math 255 - Combinatorics and Graph
Theory enjoy dinner at the home of their professor, Ann Trenk, associate
professor of mathematics (front row, left). |
|
"As
multiculturalism now indicates the need to acknowledge various forms
of diversity, the students are charged with determining multiculturalism
here in the next ten years. In Trustee meetings, College Government,
classes, and other forums, multiculturalism manifests in every part
of the Wellesley experience. Sometimes you just don't realize it."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Office of Admission
admission@wellesley.edu
|
|
| Anna (left) who is from St. Petersburg, Russia, enjoys a conversation with Caroline '06 (right) from Nairobi, Kenya. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
